EDITING- Her Strength, His Rage (Book 4) (Age Of Extinction)

Chapter 3

"Good morning, sleepyhead," chuckles Cade as he shakes me to wake from my slumber-filled Optimus. When I saw who it was I groaned. I pick my head up and watch Cade smile. "You got drool on your chin," he smiles at me as he helped me out of the truck.

"Maybe you want to go for a shower, you have oil stains on your pyjama pants."

"For the record, all you'd do was ask if you wanted a moment alone with the truck," he said. When I got the gist of what Cade said I blush bright red and he chuckled at my red face. "Shut it, Cade!" I yelled as I stomped out of the barn. I heard Cade laughing from behind me. He yells, "Morning, to you too." Oh, I want to smack the smirk straight off his face.

I see Tessa speaking on her cell phone as I entered the house. "Hey, I really don't see why my Dad wanted to keep that stupid truck. He spent half of our savings on it." I heard her groaning. When I went up the stairs I just rolled my eyes.

After a long-needed shower I went into the barn. At the sight of Cade hunched over his desk with a screwdriver in hand I stopped dead in my tracks. I could hear him humming. "Work for me, please?" he repeatedly said. I sighed as I sat beside him, taking the robot from him.

"Cade, it isn't going to work okay? You my friend suck at inventing." I giggled softly. Cade pouts at my teasing then chuckles as well possibly in agreement.

"Newsflash, Lil. You've lost your craft at fixing vehicles." I gasped then punched him. Cade laughed again rubbing his arm furiously in an attempt to get rid of the pain. I huffed, already plotting my next attack on Cade Yeager.

"I'm really a bad inventor?" questioned Cade, without looking up at the home-made robot in my hand. "I am your friend since. I can't lie to you." He took the robot out of my hand and threw it over the barn and the robot breaks.

"Okay, Cade wasn't completely necessary!" I hissed softly as I went to pick up and dust off the poor robot from across the space. I sat back next to Cade, studying the poor robot, "You're going to be a great inventor Cade one day, but now's just not the right time. Okay?" I said, handing him back his robot.

The barn door opened to show Tessa who had changed into clothes more appropriate for a young teenager. If I had a daughter she wouldn't wear half the clothes Tessa was wearing. "You both forgot to eat breakfast, so thank you again for making me late." she muttered. Tessa walks to her father's bench and sets down the food tray that was carrying enough for us all to eat. "You see why I'm worried?" Tessa scolded at her father as she folds her arms. I gave her a grateful smile and unexpectedly she returned a smile. "Morning, Tessa. I hope you've slept well." I mumbled, picking up a orange juice glass and a plate of pancakes.

"I'm sorry, sweetie, I forgot. I almost got the robot running." Cade responds, watching for any faults in the robot. I put the plate back on the table. "How about I take Tessa to school and you finish up here?" I suggested.

"Thank you so much, Lily!" said Cade, and he did the surprising thing, giving me a tender kiss on the cheek. And I blush beet red, of course, and Cade does the same until he realized he'd kissed me. Tessa huffed, pulling me out of the barn and pulled me into the rusty pickup truck.

I pulled back towards the road on the long dirt driveway, all the while keeping an eye out for any pass buyers coming up the road. I turn on the radio in the truck;didn't like the tension between me and Tessa. I was suffocated by the stressful silence, "Are you in love with my dad?" Tessa asked and I choked as the water went down the wrong hole.

"I consider your dad a close friend." I settled.

What made a woman of twenty-eight fleeing from D.C. answer such a personal question from a girl nearly eighteen-year-old?